Method of making an impression medium



Aug. 20, 1957 w. J. STOLLE ET AL 2,803,579

METHOD OF' MAKING AN IMPRESSION MEDIUM Filed Sept. 1I 1954 2Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

WALTER J. SI'OLLE, JOSEPH H. GLASEE,

Aer/w12 6. lle'LLsreA/vn SILEONARD d. IMMKE Aug. 20, 1957 w. J. sTo| LEET AL 2,803,579

METHOD oF MAKING AN IMPRESSION. MEDIUM Filed Sept. l, 1954 '2Sheets-Sheet 2 T. E INVENTOR.

WALTER JSTOLLE, JOSEPH H. GLASE2,

ARTI-lue G. KJELLSI'RAND' 8 LEONARD dJMMKE A rra/,PNE YS United StatesPatent 2,803,579 METHOD F MAKING AN IMPRESSION MEDIUM Walter J. Stelle,Cleveland, Joseph H. Glaser and Arthur G. Kjelistrand, Lakewood, andLeonard J. Irnmke, Warrensville Heights, Ohio, assignors to The BuckeyeRibbon & Carbon Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of OhioApplication September 1, 1954, Serial No. 453,516

2 Claims. (Cl. 154-138) The present invention relates generally to thecopymaking art and is more particularly concerned with a novelcopy-making medium, a unique method of manufacturing this medium and anew apparatus implementing that method.

The requirements of copy-making media in autographic registers and inother pencil and business machine applications where long life undersevere conditions is of primary importance are such that the ordinarycarbon papers are not at all satisfactory for this service. The closestapproach to a practical answer to this demand and virtually the onlycommercially available, heavyduty, copy-making medium is of the typedisclosed and claimed in U. S. Patent No. 2,263,196, granted November18, 1941. This patented medium is far superior to anything heretoforeknown for this kind of service, being capable of much longer useful lifethan ordinary carbonized papers. However, because of certain dillcultiesand limitations inherent in or imposed by its manufacture, this patentedmedium has not been wholly satisfactory under all conditions of use andit has presented substantial problems to both the manufacturer and theuser. For one thing, there is an unavoidable lack of uniformity in thefinished product leading to exhaustion of portions of the medium atearly or intermediate stages of use. Also, where the ink deposit is toothick or heavy, this medium is likely to be torn through adhesion to thecopy sheet and thus destroyed. Still further, in the manufacture of thismedium according to the method illustrated and described in the saidpatent, frequent web breakage is inevitable due to the action of theequalizer element in removing excess ink from the freshly-inked,laminated, sheet assembly.

By virtue of the present invention, the shortcomings andthe derelictionsof the prior art can be eliminated for the first time and this resultcan be obtained without the introduction of any olf-setting disadvantagein the manufacture of these heavy-duty, copy-making media. Stillfurther, the novel copy-making media of this invention are capable ofproducing copies of legibility at least as good as that which isobtainable through the use of media of this general type heretoforeknown. In addition, this invention enables the employment ofl paper-likematerial which is substantially thinner, moreporous and more delicatethan the thinnest papers which could be used in commercial manufacturein accordance with the teachings of the aforesaid patent. In fact,fuzziness in copies which is primarily a function of web thickness, can

be very materially reduced or virtually eliminated by reason of thepresent invention, which permits the useof web neness beyond anythingthat has ever been successfully used in the commercial manufacture ofcopy-` `ice ironing the floating web against the backing sheet throughthe intermediate ink layer, thus producing a laminated web and sheetassembly with an ink layer of substantially uniform thickness sandwichedbetween the papers.

a portion of the ink coating through the porous web so that finalassembly bears a coating of ink distributed substantially uniformly overthe entire web element surface.`

It will be understood, therefore, that in general the method of thisinvention comprises the steps of applying a carbonizing ink compositionto one side of a sheet of substantially non-porous paper-like materialand thereby forming a continuous coating of ink on that sheet, bringinga web of substantially porous paper-like material into contact with theink coating and floating the said web on that coating, and finallypressing the resulting assembly and bringing the sheet and webmore'closely together while extruding a portion of the ink coatingthrough the web.

Preferably, the method of this invention is carried out continuously,using long strips of sheet and thin, porous t.

web material which are delivered in roll form for processing by thismethod, the resulting product of this invention being collected in rollform in accordance with general practice inthe rotary printing art.Accordingly, each step of the method outlined above is carried out in acontinuous manner so that the entire lengths of the sheet and the webare processed with succeeding increments following i which is disposedin the pores of the working face ma terial and as a coating ofsubstantially uniform thickness:l and distribution over the outersurface of the working;

face. t

Apparatus of this invention which is especially adapted. for carryingout the novel method hereof and for the production in an efficient anddependable manner of the new copy-making medium thereof, comprises, ingeneral, a; driving means which includes a pair of rollers for grippinga continuous sheet and moving it to a predetermined I location orstation to receive a coating of ink.. In addition,

this apparatus includes ink-applying means comprising an ink reservoirand an inking roller to receive ink from the Y reservoir and to transferthat ink to one side of the passing sheet. Means are also provided,including al drivenroller', for bringing a second continuous sheetcontinuously into contact with ink coating carried by the first sheet.Finally, t

the apparatus includes pressing means to engage the resulting laminatedassembly and move the two sheets closer together whilesubstantially'uniformly distributing the ink i between the two sheets.

Those skilled in the art will gaina further and better` understanding ofthe present invention and the foregoing and additional advantagesthereof on consideration of the following detailed description,Vreference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming a part ofthis specification, in which:

Fig. l is a semi-diagrammatic, side-elevational view of apparatusembodying this invention in a preferred form;

Fig. `2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of an alternative form of apparatusof this invention;

Fig. 3 is an'enlarged, fragmentary, sectional View of'va copy-makingmedium of this invention at an intermediate stage of itsproduction-indicated at lines 3-3 of Fig. l;` n

Patentedl Aug. 2(1), 1,957'

The pressing operation, accordingly, involves the extrusion of Fig. 4 isan enlarged., fragmentary, sectional view etnie said copyinaking mediumat av later stage of its production indicated at lines 4-4 of Fig. 1 and5-5 of Fig. 2,

:Fie- We enlarged, fragmentary, Sectional view f a typical copy-making`medium of*` this invention in ual finishedferm As shown in Fig. l,y anelongated sheet ofv suitable paper-like, backing material is deliveredas a roll 11 to apparatus of this invention and disposed, between a pairof opposed brake or tensioning rolls 14, over a positioning roll 15, aninking roll` 16 partially immersed in a suitable ink composition, 17contained in an open vessel, 18, over an equalizer rod or coatingknifeil, a secondl positioning hot drivenroll 2,2, a series of drivenchill rolls 23 and 24, a driven positioning roll 25, betweena pair ofopposed pull rolls 27 and 28, and finally onI a` wind-up roll 29U0nwhich the finished laminated copy mediumV product. of this invention isto b e gathered and wound as roll 3.0.k In addition, this apparatusincludes a positioning roll 32 over which a thin, porous, continuous web33 of suitable material delivered asV a rolll 34 is run preparatory toengagement with freshly applied ink coating 35 (Fig. 3.) carriedbybacking 10 leaving' equalizer rod 20. Pressing means comprising ia'roller 37 disposed substantially midway between rolls 22 and 23 andopposed to those rolls bears against the web Vor working face of theresulting laminated assembly 40 to make the ink layer. 35 between thesheet and web of substantially uniform thickness and to extrude excesslink in that layer through the pores of web 33 and distribute itsubstantially uniformly overy the outer surface of said web.

Theapparatus illustrated in Fig. 2 differs from that of Fig. 1essentially only in respect to the means by which theink is applied tobacking sheet 10. Thus, instead of using equalizer rod 20 or a coatingknife for removal of excess ink following the application of an overlythick ink layer, an inking roll 45, a transfer roll 46, an applicatorroll 47 and an impression roll 48 are employed to insure. the.application of a predetermined amount of ink to sheet 10. The necessityfor equalizer rod 20 or its equivalent, as well as for positioning rollhas thus been eliminated.

It will be clear in View of the foregoing apparatus descriptions, thatthe method of this invention can be carried, outin both the illustratedforms of our apparatus. Thus, assuming backing sheet 10 and web 33 to bethreaded through Vthe travel coursedened by the various roll elements,it is seen that sheet 10 is fed continuously to the ink-applyingstations in Figs. 1 and 2- and, depending upon the apparatus used, isrun continuously in Contact with rod or is brought directly into Contactwith the web which is run continuously and substantially at the samerate along the common travel course be' ginning at roll 22. Also, it isseen that sheet 10 and web 33, running together with the intermediateink layer 35 uniting them, are delivered as an unitary assembly intocontact with the roll 37 which accomplishes the essential and novelpressing, extruding and smoothing funtcions described above. Thereafterand before the ink has had an opportunity for redistribtuion to destroyuniformity of the freshly-prepared product, the assembly is continuouslyrun over the chill rollers by means of which the ink composition isreduced to substantially room temperaturel and is hardened and settoapredetermined degree preparatory to winding the product for storage orshipment and use.

As indicated above, the application of ink compositionl at anlelelvatedtemperature is contemplated by the present invention and is suitablycarried out through the use of reservoir 18 equipped with suitableconventional heatingmeans in accordance with custom inthe papercarbonizing industry. Likewise, the chilling result noted above.. isaccomplished throughithe useof suitableconventional means known to thoseskilled in the art.

The ink composition employed in accordance with thc preferred practiceof this invention is one having the following composition:

It will be understood, however, that other carbonizing ink compositions,may be employed without departing from the spirit of this invention orthe .scope of the appended claims.

The backing layer used in accordance with this invention in themanufacture of these novel media isvsuitably conventional carbonizingtissue but may be any substantially non-elastic and non-porous materialsuch as cellophane and various` synthetic films affording aninkaccepting base. The various mixtures of rag and chemical pulp papersin wide use in the production of ordinary carbon paper are quitesatisfactory for use in thisinvention but preferably for billing machineuse a rag pulp paper is used, while for pencil use sulfite pulp willgenerally be found most satisfactory. In any event, however, asindicated above, the material used for this backing element should showno tendency to stretch.

The webs employedin the manufacture of the mediaof this invention maysuitably be of material or synthetic fibers which are adaptable toproduction of open weave tissues havinggood strength characteristics.The bers should `have surfaceswhich are'wettable by the inks used butthey need not be absorbent and they may be flexible to some extentcompared to the backing sheet material fiber.- Alsoporosity is animportant feature of these webs and it is desirable that they be smoothto assure good, clear copies. Byy way of example, a web which is wellsuited for thispurpose weighs about one pound per 91 square yards, i.e., 2% to 21/2 pounds per 500 sheets of 20 inch by 30 inch size. This issubstantially lighter and thinner than standard mimeograph stencil whichmay be used in thisv manufacture but is not preferred.

In respect to Figs. 3 to 5, inclusive, it is important to note not onlythe sequence of the stepsleading to the assembly constitutingthe finalnovel product of this invention, `butalso to note the fact that incontrast to products of this type in the prior art, there is, at notime, any direct contact between sheet 10y and working face or web 33.In other words, ink is always present asa continuous layer overessentially the entire areas of these twopaper-likematerial elementsrof'this combination and while a certain amount of ink normally issqueezed from` between thetwo elements, it is only for the purpose of'makingthis intermediate layer uniform in thickness-that this isdoneland-not for providing any direct contact or anchoring effects. AsV shownin Fig. 5, ink layer 35 of Figs. 3 and 4 has been converted into a layer50 which is substantially thinner than layer 35 and is quite uniformlover the entire area of ythe medium. lnk displaced from layer 35Jin-thisconversion operation appears in this view as an upper layer 52 coveringweb 33. Actually, layers 50 and 52 are united through the pores andopenings of web 33, althoughin the interest of clarity this has not beenillustrated in Fig. 5, the principal purpose of which is to show thecritical and novel relationship between backingV 10, ink layer 5t) andweb 33, described above. Having thus described the present invention sothat vthose skilled inthe art maybe able to understand and practice thesame, westate vthat `what we desire-to secure byLetters `Patent is denedin what is claimed.

What is-claimed isz 1. The methodfof making a copy-producing medium.

phase to one side of a backing sheet of substantially nonporous paperand thereby forming a continuous coating on said backing sheet, bringinga web of substantially porous paper into contact with the ink coatingbefore the ink has cooled and set, heating the ink layer of theresulting assembly, then promptly firmly pressing the said assembly andextruding ink through the web and moving the web toward the backingsheet to provide an ink layer of substantially uniform thickness betweenthe said web and sheet, and cooling the pressed laminated assembly andhardening the ink on the surface of the assembly and between the web andthe backing sheet while the web and sheet are maintained in uniformspaced relation to each other.

2. The method of making a copy-producing medium which comprises thesteps of applying a carbonizing ink composition at elevated temperatureand in the liquid phase to one side of a backing sheet of substantiallynonporous paper and thereby forming a continuous coating on said backingsheet, bringing a web of substantially porous paper into contact withthe ink coating before the ink has cooled and set, firmly pressing thesaid assembly while the coating is in liquid form and extruding inkthrough the web and moving the web toward the backing sheet to providean ink layer of substantially uniform thickness between the said web andsheet, and chilling the pressed laminated assembly and hardening the inkon the surface of the assembly and between the web and the backing sheetwhile the web and sheet are maintained in uniform spaced relation toeach other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,831,403 Woodward Nov. 10, 1931 2,031,035 Dreyman Feb. 18, 19362,084,221 Schutz June 15, 1937 2,129,929 Gurwick Sept. 13, 19382,154,474 Scott Apr. 18, 1939 2,208,060 Wagner July 16, 1940 2,263,196Stolle et al. Nov. 18, 1941 2,459,295 Skoog Jan. 18, 1949 2,479,290Auxier et al Aug. 18, 1949 2,513,708 Belcher July 4, 1950

1. THE METHOF OF MAKING A COPY-PRODUCING MEDIUMM WHICH COMPRISES THESTEPS OF APPLYING A CARBONIZING INK COMPOSISTION AT ELEVATED TEMPERATUREAND IN THE LIQUID PHASE TO ONE SIDE OF A BACKING SHEET OF SUBSTANTIALLYNONPOROUS PAPER AND THEREBY FORMING A CONTINUOUS COATINGG ON SAIDBACKING SHEET, BRINGING A WEB OF SUBSTANTIALLY POROUS PAPER INTO CONTACTWITH THE INK COATING BEFORE THE INK HAS COOLED AND SET, HEATING THE IINKLAYER OF THE RESULTING ASSENBLY, THEN PROMPTLY FIRMLY PRESSING THE SAIDASSEMBLY AND EXTRUDING INK THROUGH THE WEB AND MOVING THE WEB TOWARDSTHE BACKING SHEET TO PROVIDE AN INK LAYER OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMTHICKNESS BETWEEN THE SAID WEB AND SHEET, AND COOLING THE PRESSEDLAMINATED ASSEMBLY AND HARDENING THE INK ON THE SURFACE OF THE ASSEMBLYAND BETWEEN THE WEB AND THE BACKING SHEET WHILE THE WEB AND SHEET AREMAINTAINED IN UNIFORM SPACED RELATION TO EACH OTHER.